Watch Duty

Last updated

Sherwood Forestry Service
Founded2021
Founders
  • John Mills
  • David Merritt
Type 501(c)(3) non-profit
EIN  871454433
Location
ServicesWildfire tracking
RevenueIncrease2.svg $1.23 million (2023)
ExpensesIncrease2.svg $1.01 million (2023)
Website www.watchduty.org

Watch Duty is real-time wildfire tracking and alert platform. It utilizes a combination of official data sources and human monitoring by experienced volunteers, including active and retired firefighters, dispatchers, and first responders.

Contents

Operations

The service is operated by Sherwood Forestry Service, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. [1] In 2023, the organization had $1.23 million in revenue, $1.01 million in expenses, including $415,587 in executive compensation. [2] In 2024, Watch Duty had 15 full-time employees and approximately 140 volunteers, which reported on over 9,000 fires. It also received a $2 million grant from Google.org. [3]

History

Watch Duty was launched in August 2021 by John Mills, who experienced a wildfire shortly after he moved to Sonoma County, California. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) was unable to provide updates more than once a day due to time constraints, and residents of the area were unable to monitor the progression of the wildfire. Mills discovered that updates were being shared on social media by volunteers following radio scanners, and developed the Watch Duty app to make the information more readily available. It launched with a volunteer staff of "citizen information officers," [4] initially serving Sonoma County before expanding to all of California in June 2022. [5] As of December 2024, the service covered 22 states west of the Mississippi River. [6] During the January 2025 Southern California wildfires, Watch Duty was downloaded millions of times, ranking among the most popular free downloads on the iOS App Store. [7]

App

The application is centered around an interactive map based on OpenStreetMap data with a variety of overlays visualizing fire risk, active fires and evacuation zones, weather conditions, and air quality observations. [5] Watch Duty sources wildfire information from radio scanner transmissions, firefighters, sheriffs, and CAL FIRE publications. It has policies against the publication of personally identifiable information, such as the names of fire victims. [8] Watch Duty is free to use, doesn't require users to sign up, and doesn't display ads. [9]

References

  1. ↑ Fell, Nicole (January 13, 2025). "How Watch Duty Became an Essential Resource for Angelenos During Wildfires: "We Get Love Letters"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 15, 2025.
  2. ↑ "Sherwood Forestry Service (EIN: 87-1454433)". Nonprofit Explorer. ProPublica. December 31, 2023. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  3. ↑ "2024 Annual Report". Watch Duty. December 18, 2024. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  4. ↑ Peters, Adele (January 9, 2025). "How Watch Duty Became the Go-To App for People Fleeing the L.A. Fires". Fast Company. Retrieved January 15, 2025.
  5. 1 2 Ashworth, Boone (August 17, 2022). "A Crowdsourced Wildfire App Tracks All of California's Blazes". Wired . San Francisco. Retrieved January 15, 2025.
  6. ↑ "What states and counties do you cover?". Watch Duty Help Center. Santa Rosa, California: Sherwood Forestry Service. January 5, 2025. Retrieved January 15, 2025.
  7. ↑ Tan, Eli; Mac, Ryan (January 11, 2025). "Watch Duty, a Wildfire-Tracking App, Provides a Lifeline in Los Angeles". The New York Times . Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  8. ↑ "Watch Duty Code of Conduct". www.watchduty.org. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  9. ↑ Bassett, Abigail (January 11, 2025). "How Watch Duty's wildfire tracking app became a crucial lifeline for LA". The Verge . Retrieved February 1, 2025.
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